Perhaps Next Time
by Umaro
Summary: Here's a fic I posted a few months back on TMFFA, I'd like some feedback for future work! Thanks!


Perhaps Next Time

Perhaps Next Time

The letter had arrived the night before, and Aeka had poured over it at least thirty times in 24 hours.The document had been clear enough, and there was really nothing she could do.Except wait for her transport to arrive, and that would be tomorrow morning.

"That's too little time…" Aeka lamented, she had yet to tell everyone else she would be leaving.Even Sasami was unaware to this point.Aeka wished her departure could be simple and mercifully quick, but due to her attachment to the other people living under the Masaki roof, she knew it would be anything but.Especially with Tenchi.Aeka began to cry as she wondered what he would say, or not say, what he would do, or not do.In her stay here she had gained and lost so much, it had been like a dream, her "vacation", but the close of the dream was coming and the harsh cruelty of the real world was beginning to find its way back into her life.She was the First Princess of Jurai…And it was time for her to go home.

*

Sasami was preparing lunch when she heard her sister's voice from the kitchen.

"Sasami…I've received notice from our father that…I have to return."Her voice was flat, and almost devoid of emotion.Sasami turned around to face her sister, and found her barely holding back tears.

"No…but I thought…Father said we could…You can't leave!!"Sasami ran into her sister's arms."Why do you have to go?!"

"There is much conflict back home, and Father wants me to return to help quell what may become a rebellion.He wants you to stay here though…It is…safer here…"

Sasami sniffed, "When are you coming back?You're only going to be gone for a little while right?"

"I…don't know Sasami, these things can be…complex…But while I'm gone, I want you to be strong…for me and for the others."

Sasami felt her eyes welling up with tears, "I don't want you to go Aeka…We're a family here, you can't just leave…"She held onto her sister tightly, fearing that when she let go she'd be gone forever.

Aeka hugged her little sister and wiped away her own tears.

"Sasami, you and I both have responsibilities we have to take care of…Yours is here, and mine is back home…But don't worry, nothing will change the fact that I am your sister and I love you.I'll be back as soon as I can, it just may take a while.Now, stop crying…Don't think of this as an ending, it's just a temporary change."She laughed a little, "You'll finally have a room to yourself now."

Sasami giggled.Aeka had known that she had wanted her own room for a while, but she hadn't wanted to inconvenience anyone.Sasami broke the embrace and ran to the stove, 

"Oh no!The rice is burning!!"

Aeka chuckled, Sasami would be upset for a little while but she would be fine.She was amazingly strong willed for someone her age.Aeka wondered if this was due to the influence of Tsunami, or if it were just her own will.Sasami turned around after a moment, 

"I'll prepare a special dinner for you tonight sister.Does anyone else know yet?"

"Not yet… I was planning on announcing it at dinner tonight.I wanted to tell you before anyone else though, I was worried you might get upset if I told you with everyone else."Aeka smiled.

Sasami grinned back, "You're probably right!"She then reflected for a moment as a thought came into her head."Hey, maybe you should tell Tenchi now too!Maybe…if you tell him he might…" Sasami began blushing madly as she imagined how Tenchi might respond.

"NO!I mean, not yet…I haven't thought about how I'm going to tell Lord Tenchi yet…" Aeka lied, she had run scenarios through her head a thousand times, wondering how he might react to the news.Every reaction scared her, not just his but hers as well.Ever since he had fought Seiryu to keep her on Earth, she had wondered…Just how did Tenchi feel about her?

*

Katsuhito was sitting in the shrine enjoying his afternoon tea when Aeka came to visit him.Her visit had been expected, as he had received a note from his mother regarding the current Jurai situation.Though Azusa had not told his wives he was recalling Aeka, Funaho had found out anyway.Katsuhito knew she would not act against him, and though she liked Tenchi well enough, Aeka needed to be on Jurai for the duration of the conflict.Unfortunately, it had been his experience that this sort of thing usually took a long time.

"I was wondering when you would make an appearance Aeka.I know why you are here.My question to you is, what are you doing talking to an old man, when there is a young man we both know you should be talking to?"

Aeka froze in her tracks and lowered her head.

"Yosho…I…I don't know how to…" She was beginning to cry again.

"Sometimes the simplest and obvious choice is the hardest…However, as long as you follow your heart you will never be wrong.That is all of the advice I can give you."

Aeka nodded and walked out of the shrine.Yosho had done exactly what she thought he would, offer cryptic advice and avoid taking a direct stand.How horribly typical of him…

As she left the shrine Katsuhito took another sip of his tea and contemplated.

"I only hope that you finally accept and confront your feelings Aeka.If you do not, you will never be able to fully leave Earth.Your soul will be trapped here while your body is halfway across the universe, and the body cannot live without the soul."

*

Sasami had waited for Aeka to head up to the shrine before setting into action.The first step had been easy, with lunch she made two extra meals, one being Aeka's favorite, the others being Tenchi's.The second part was much harder, and required her telling Tenchi about the situation.The third part would be the hardest; it would be getting Tenchi to agree to her plan.

"…And that's why you have to do it all tonight!!"Sasami gave Tenchi a moment to digest the news.He reacted in a fairly normal way.He stared sort of blankly at her.

"So, will you do it Tenchi?I know it'd mean a lot to her…" Sasami was pleading now.

Tenchi thought about Aeka for a moment, he thought about the time at the cabin, the incident at the onsen, the time he saved her from Kagato and then from Azusa and Seiryu.After all they had been through, she was going to be taken away from their family.She was going to be taken away from…him.

With a sense of purpose he looked at Sasami and replied, 

"You're sure you can keep Ryoko at bay?"

*

"Dinnertime!!" 

Sasami's yell could be heard throughout the house, and almost immediately everyone began to make their way to the kitchen and the feast on the table.Sasami had outdone herself, and had prepared a grand feast for that night.

Aeka heard the call and sighed.It was to be her last dinner with everyone.With Sasami, Mihoshi, Washu, Ryoko, Nobuyuki, and Tenchi.She looked around the room; she had been packing most of the afternoon and had tried her best to keep it secret.As best she knew, only Sasami was party to her news, though that would change in a few short minutes.Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door.  
Tenchi's voice drifted through the air, 

"Lady Aeka, can I come in for a moment?"

Aeka jumped to her feet and rushed to the door, he couldn't see the state of the room, he'd immediately figure out what was going on.  
"Give me one moment please, I'm…just cleaning up."

Aeka had just had made it halfway to the door when it opened.Tenchi walked in.Aeka froze, 

"Tenchi!I…"

Tenchi slowly looked around the room, his eyes finally resting on her. 

"I was wondering…" He was starting to blush."Would you like to take a little walk?There's something I want to talk to you about…In private."

Aeka had turned a lovely shade of red as well.She was hoping he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary…He hadn't said anything, could it be he didn't notice…

"Uh…Dinner's ready…I would hate to miss Sasami's…She said she was making something special…I don't think it would be…Plus I have to…" Aeka began nervously rambling, not quite finishing complete thoughts.Tenchi smiled and held up two large brown paper bags,

"I got ours to go…If that's ok with you?"

Aeka smiled back,

"Well then…Shall we?"

*

Washu was trying her hardest to hold back her laughter.The scene was too perfect…She was truly The Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe!!Everyone was present, Sasami, Ryoko, Mihoshi, Herself, Nobuyuki, and robotic Aeka and Tenchi.Sasami had told her of everything that was going on, not that she wouldn't have figured it out herself, and had asked for a large favor.For Washu it had been a pleasure, watching Ryoko fawn over Robo-Tenchi was too perfect.She just hoped Mihoshi didn't cause him to blow up.

*

Tenchi and Aeka had made it to the other side of the lake before either said a word.When they did finally speak, they did so at exactly the same time.  
"Tenchi, I…"

"Aeka, there's…"

They both stopped and blushed, and Tenchi began to speak again.

"Aeka…I know about…everything."

Aeka looked away, she didn't want to have to look at him.Not with this hanging over her head.Tenchi continued, "That's the reason why I asked you out here tonight.I didn't want you to leave with things, like they are, between us."

Aeka froze, "Tenchi, what do you mean?"

Tenchi sat down, "…I'm not completely clueless to everything that goes on…I know why you and Ryoko always fight, I'm just…I never know how to…So much has happened to all of us here, and…"

Aeka sat beside him, "I have a lot of good memories here, Tenchi.I remember when I was first stranded here; how I thought my life was over.I was going to be stuck out here in some odd corner of the Universe.But then, I got to know you.Suddenly, the ends of the Universe didn't seem so bad."

Aeka turned to face him, "It began to feel like home."

Tenchi kept looking forward, "Even after everything, after being blown up countless times, facing down incredible odds, and things that were incredibly odd…I wouldn't change anything if I could.I couldn't be happier with things the way they are, and its now…Knowing that things are about to change, that I'm unsure about…my feelings."

He turned to face her, "Aeka…I don't want you to leave."

Aeka began to cry.There was no way she could hold back the tears.She looked into Tenchi's eyes, and saw how close he was to breaking down as well.

"Tenchi…There is nothing I can do…I'm the…"

"You're the First Princess of Jurai Aeka, I know…But you're my Lady Aeka also…"

"And you're my Lord Tenchi…"

Tenchi and Aeka looked into each other's eyes for a moment, a moment that could have outlasted time itself, and embraced.

*

From the shrine Katsuhito looked around.It was a clear beautiful night, one of those summer nights where a minute seems like an hour, as though time itself fears ending such a perfect sequence of moments.By the light of the moon reflected on the lake, he could see to figures, sitting side by side in an embrace.

Katsuhito smiled. 

*

It was Aeka who broke the embrace, "It's getting late Tenchi…The others will be worried."

"You're right…I'm not sure how long Sasami's little ruse will last."

The two laughed, and Tenchi stood up.  
"Aeka, how long are you going to be gone?"

Aeka looked back out to the lake, this had been a question she had hoped to avoid, especially tonight, especially with Tenchi.

"…I don't know…It could be a very short amount of time, maybe only a year or two…"

Tenchi could sense the sadness in her voice and continued her thought, 

"Or it could be longer…Much longer."

He had been afraid that it would be something like that.Rebellions were seldom short, and though he hadn't wanted to accept it, he knew there was going to be a remote chance that he would never see her again.

"Tenchi, lets not think like that…There is no point in assuming the worst; lets just pretend that this will just be a short trip home for me.I'll be coming back, and we can…Continue this conversation…"

Tenchi nodded solemnly; there was little else he could do.Tenchi reflected for a moment, there was something else he could do.

As Aeka stood, Tenchi embraced her.The two looked into each other's eyes, then kissed.

After a long perfect moment, they walked back, arm in arm, hand in hand to the house.

Before reaching the back door, Aeka paused. 

"Tenchi, the ship will be arriving early in the morning…Perhaps it would be best if we said our goodbyes now?"

"No way," Tenchi smiled "Do you think I could sleep through something like that?There's no way I'd let you leave without being there myself."

Aeka returned the smile, "And I wouldn't be able to leave without you there.Until the morning then?"  
Tenchi nodded and the two kissed one last time.

"Goodnight Lady Aeka."  
"Goodnight Lord Tenchi."

*

The shuttle arrived early in the morning, and three figures were there when it arrived.Aeka, Tenchi, and Yosho were waiting at the shrine.As several Juraian guards began to take cargo on board, Tenchi took Aeka aside.

"Maybe when you come back we can go to a festival or something…" Tenchi was holding back tears."There are several coming up in the coming months, perhaps the next time you come back we can go somewhere…together…"

Aeka smiled sadly, "Yes, I would like that very much Lord Tenchi, perhaps next time…"

With no words left unspoken, Aeka slowly began to walk to the ship.A series of memories slowly passed her eyes; every moment of her stay on Earth reminding her of how lucky she had been.Perhaps it was something more than luck though; perhaps it was her fate or destiny to spend this time on Earth.The latter thought comforted her as she entered the ship, because if it were her destiny to meet Tenchi, then there would be no way the two of them could truly be separated forever.No distance of space or time could separate them, and it would take heaven and earth to keep them apart.Aeka smiled as Earth slowly began to move away from her.She watched until she could no longer see Tenchi, then left to her quarters.

*

Tenchi waited until the shuttle was out of view then looked to his grandfather.Katsuhito stared at the sky, not returning Tenchi's gaze but understanding perfectly what was on his mind.  
"Do not worry Tenchi…You will see her again…"

Tenchi smiled and looked back to the sky, "I know Grandfather…I love her."


End file.
